2 Revival-era Kutani -Idolizing Ko-Kutani,or Old Kutaniyaki-
2 Revival-era Kutani
-Idolizing Ko-Kutani,or Old Kutaniyaki-
Towards the end of the Edo period, many art forms such as Yuzen silk dyeing and Maki-e lacquer decorations were thriving in Kaga domain, yet ceramics were not being produced. The time was right to revive the art form of Kutaniyaki, and so Mokubei Aoki, a famed craftsman from Kyoto. and his assistant Sadakichi Honda, were called to Kasugayama, where they established a kiln lo aid in this revival. This was 120 years after Ko-Kutani originally stopped being produced.
Gosu red painting on a warm yellowish dish
However, due to a fire destroying Kanazawa Castle, the domain's financial situation became dire, and the kiln lost its public funding. switching to private management. Mokubei, dissatisfied with this situation, returned to Kyoto, leaving Sadakichi behind.
Modern Mokubei Style
Komatsu Nishikigama Museum
Komatsu City Museum Masahiro Hashimoto
“Eventually, it fell to Sadakichi Honda, who remained in Kanazawa, to manage Kaga domain's kiln. He later moved to Komatsu, where he began expenmenting with pottery stone that he found there, using a kiln in the village of Wakasugi that had been being used by Hachibe Hayashi.
In 1811, Sadakichi discovered Hanasaka pottery stone, a type of pottery stone perfect for making porcelain.
That same porcelain stone that was found over 200 years ago is still used as the main source material of modern Kutaniyaki today.
In 1816, Kaga domain took over operations of the Wakasugi kiln and recruited 50 ceramics artisans from around the country and brought them to Kaga. As the Wakasugi kiln increased in productivity, Kaga domain proceeded to ban imports of pottery from other domains, as a measure to protect their interests in the Wakasugi kiln.”
Sadakichi Honda/Komatsu Hanasaka quarry
Iroe Styles/Gosu red painting styles
Products designed for everyday use were mass-produced in blue-and-white and Gosu red painting styles.
Map of kiln
The Wakasugi kiln operated for the longest of all the revival-era Kutani kilns, and many of the apprentices who studied there under Sadakichi went on to establish their own kilns in the South of Kaga domain, carrying on the tradition of Kutaniyaki.
A work of Genemon Aoya
One such apprentice Genemon Aoya longed to create works of Ko-Kutani.
Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga
Around the same time, Denemon Toyota, a wealthy merchant of Daishouji domain. contemplated the revival of Ko-Kutani in the village of Kutani, hallowed ground for Kutaniyaki. following the Kasugayama and Wakasugi kiln.
The Remains of the Historical Kutani Porcelain Kiln Museum
The two were fated to meet, and when they did, Denemon recruited Genemon and financed the establishment of a new kiln, the Yoshidaya kiln.
This was 130 years after Ko-Kutani originally stopped being produced.
Kaga Kutani Ceramics Federation of Cooperatives Masanori Shimada
“This is the central exhibit at our museum, the remains of the historical Kutani porcelain kiln, a nationally-protected historical site. It is more commonly known as the remains of the Yoshida-ya kiln, which was active during the revival period of Kutaniyaki.
Before establishing his kiln here,
Denemon operated for two years in the village of Kutani. hallowed ground for Kutani ceramicists.
After moving to Yamashiro, he operated the Yoshida-ya kiln for a total of seven years.
The climbing kiln was rebuilt three times, and the lowest layer of the kiln is considered to be the remains of the original Yoshida-ya kiln.”
Aote Kutani Style: Four colors without red.
Many of Denemon Toyoda's works feature motifs that reflect his interest in literature.
The Iidaya kiln
After the Yoshidaya kiln ceased operations, the lidaya kiln was built on its remains, and when that, too, shut down, the Eiraku kiln was built on it.
A bowl featuring the fine red and gold painting style by Hachiroemon Iidaya.
The Eiraku kiln
A bowl featuring Kinran (golden orchid) style painting.
Shoza Kutani
Shōza incorporated all the various styles of Kutaniyaki into one style, establishing a new style called "Japan Kutaniyaki", and pioneered foreign trade in Kutaniyaki after the Meiji Restoration.
Member of the Japan Art Academy Toshiaki Takegoshi
“Shaza Kutani was 11 years old when he began working at the Wakasugi kiln, where he was apprentice to Genemon Aoya, a porcelain painter who had worked at the Yoshida-ya kiln, so his own work was of course heavily influenced by Genemon. “
Shōza's works covered a wide range of styles, including both Ko-Kutani and Yoshida-ya style. “Personally, I also sometimes get bored when I'm just making similar kinds of things day after day. Shōza was always curious about learning new styles, and through exposing himself to the varying techniques of Ko-Kutani and Yoshida-ya, as well as the intricate red porcelain paintings of the lida-ya style, he began to establish his own unique style. It was through this process that he ultimately established the Saishiki-Kinrande technique. “
He began using Western paints and accenting paintings, featuring complimentary colors with gold.
A work by Toshiaki Takegoshi "The Sky King"
“I personally think that Shōza is the greatest ceramics artist to come out of the Nomi area, and his influence on the local culture of porcelain was significant.without him it would have flourished in this area as much as it did.”
Nomi Kutani Ceramics Museum
These works were originally exported abroad as "Japan Kutaniyaki", and has since found its way home.
Ishikawa Kutani Ceramics Federation of Cooperatives Syoichi Yoshida
“After Shōza's death, many local Kutaniyaki merchants began to travel to sell their wares.
One of the most famous among them was Kichiji Watano, who had shops in cities as Kobe and Yokohama. He even spread Kutaniyaki abroad, starting with Europe, America, Chile, and Brazil.
Kutaniyaki was particularly popular in Europe, reaching its peak in exports in 1887.
At that time, 80% of all Kutaniyaki produced in the prefecture was exported abroad. Kichiji Watano also invited Wagener a German instructor at Tokyo University, to teach and spread techniques used in Western porcelain, which had a lasting effect on the development of Kutaniyaki in future generations.”
A work by Bizan Shimizu “Hanazume”
This piece features the technique of decorative painting using Western paints that was spread by Wagener.
-Idolizing Ko-Kutani,or Old Kutaniyaki-
Towards the end of the Edo period, many art forms such as Yuzen silk dyeing and Maki-e lacquer decorations were thriving in Kaga domain, yet ceramics were not being produced. The time was right to revive the art form of Kutaniyaki, and so Mokubei Aoki, a famed craftsman from Kyoto. and his assistant Sadakichi Honda, were called to Kasugayama, where they established a kiln lo aid in this revival. This was 120 years after Ko-Kutani originally stopped being produced.
Gosu red painting on a warm yellowish dish
However, due to a fire destroying Kanazawa Castle, the domain's financial situation became dire, and the kiln lost its public funding. switching to private management. Mokubei, dissatisfied with this situation, returned to Kyoto, leaving Sadakichi behind.
Modern Mokubei Style
Komatsu Nishikigama Museum
Komatsu City Museum Masahiro Hashimoto
“Eventually, it fell to Sadakichi Honda, who remained in Kanazawa, to manage Kaga domain's kiln. He later moved to Komatsu, where he began expenmenting with pottery stone that he found there, using a kiln in the village of Wakasugi that had been being used by Hachibe Hayashi.
In 1811, Sadakichi discovered Hanasaka pottery stone, a type of pottery stone perfect for making porcelain.
That same porcelain stone that was found over 200 years ago is still used as the main source material of modern Kutaniyaki today.
In 1816, Kaga domain took over operations of the Wakasugi kiln and recruited 50 ceramics artisans from around the country and brought them to Kaga. As the Wakasugi kiln increased in productivity, Kaga domain proceeded to ban imports of pottery from other domains, as a measure to protect their interests in the Wakasugi kiln.”
Sadakichi Honda/Komatsu Hanasaka quarry
Iroe Styles/Gosu red painting styles
Products designed for everyday use were mass-produced in blue-and-white and Gosu red painting styles.
Map of kiln
The Wakasugi kiln operated for the longest of all the revival-era Kutani kilns, and many of the apprentices who studied there under Sadakichi went on to establish their own kilns in the South of Kaga domain, carrying on the tradition of Kutaniyaki.
A work of Genemon Aoya
One such apprentice Genemon Aoya longed to create works of Ko-Kutani.
Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga
Around the same time, Denemon Toyota, a wealthy merchant of Daishouji domain. contemplated the revival of Ko-Kutani in the village of Kutani, hallowed ground for Kutaniyaki. following the Kasugayama and Wakasugi kiln.
The Remains of the Historical Kutani Porcelain Kiln Museum
The two were fated to meet, and when they did, Denemon recruited Genemon and financed the establishment of a new kiln, the Yoshidaya kiln.
This was 130 years after Ko-Kutani originally stopped being produced.
Kaga Kutani Ceramics Federation of Cooperatives Masanori Shimada
“This is the central exhibit at our museum, the remains of the historical Kutani porcelain kiln, a nationally-protected historical site. It is more commonly known as the remains of the Yoshida-ya kiln, which was active during the revival period of Kutaniyaki.
Before establishing his kiln here,
Denemon operated for two years in the village of Kutani. hallowed ground for Kutani ceramicists.
After moving to Yamashiro, he operated the Yoshida-ya kiln for a total of seven years.
The climbing kiln was rebuilt three times, and the lowest layer of the kiln is considered to be the remains of the original Yoshida-ya kiln.”
Aote Kutani Style: Four colors without red.
Many of Denemon Toyoda's works feature motifs that reflect his interest in literature.
The Iidaya kiln
After the Yoshidaya kiln ceased operations, the lidaya kiln was built on its remains, and when that, too, shut down, the Eiraku kiln was built on it.
A bowl featuring the fine red and gold painting style by Hachiroemon Iidaya.
The Eiraku kiln
A bowl featuring Kinran (golden orchid) style painting.
Shoza Kutani
Shōza incorporated all the various styles of Kutaniyaki into one style, establishing a new style called "Japan Kutaniyaki", and pioneered foreign trade in Kutaniyaki after the Meiji Restoration.
Member of the Japan Art Academy Toshiaki Takegoshi
“Shaza Kutani was 11 years old when he began working at the Wakasugi kiln, where he was apprentice to Genemon Aoya, a porcelain painter who had worked at the Yoshida-ya kiln, so his own work was of course heavily influenced by Genemon. “
Shōza's works covered a wide range of styles, including both Ko-Kutani and Yoshida-ya style. “Personally, I also sometimes get bored when I'm just making similar kinds of things day after day. Shōza was always curious about learning new styles, and through exposing himself to the varying techniques of Ko-Kutani and Yoshida-ya, as well as the intricate red porcelain paintings of the lida-ya style, he began to establish his own unique style. It was through this process that he ultimately established the Saishiki-Kinrande technique. “
He began using Western paints and accenting paintings, featuring complimentary colors with gold.
A work by Toshiaki Takegoshi "The Sky King"
“I personally think that Shōza is the greatest ceramics artist to come out of the Nomi area, and his influence on the local culture of porcelain was significant.without him it would have flourished in this area as much as it did.”
Nomi Kutani Ceramics Museum
These works were originally exported abroad as "Japan Kutaniyaki", and has since found its way home.
Ishikawa Kutani Ceramics Federation of Cooperatives Syoichi Yoshida
“After Shōza's death, many local Kutaniyaki merchants began to travel to sell their wares.
One of the most famous among them was Kichiji Watano, who had shops in cities as Kobe and Yokohama. He even spread Kutaniyaki abroad, starting with Europe, America, Chile, and Brazil.
Kutaniyaki was particularly popular in Europe, reaching its peak in exports in 1887.
At that time, 80% of all Kutaniyaki produced in the prefecture was exported abroad. Kichiji Watano also invited Wagener a German instructor at Tokyo University, to teach and spread techniques used in Western porcelain, which had a lasting effect on the development of Kutaniyaki in future generations.”
A work by Bizan Shimizu “Hanazume”
This piece features the technique of decorative painting using Western paints that was spread by Wagener.